We don?t know everything.

We know, what a shocker. *Cue the group eye-roll* But seriously, we learn something new every single day, and we love it. We truly appreciate the fact that we don?t know everything because it still allows us to be amazed by the world. We don?t know everything, and that?s how we like it.

Now don?t get us wrong. The simple fact that we don?t know everything doesn?t prevent us from trying to learn as much as we can. It amazes us how many resources there are to learn new things. Take, for instance, the public library: rows and shelves and rooms full of books and magazines and newspapers (and we’re sure many other things we have yet to discover). We could spend hours perusing the isles of the art section, pulling various books and just sitting on the floor and flipping through the beautiful artwork. It?s even better when the book is immensely oversized and the paintings and drawings show such detail, we feel as though we’re looking at the actual piece.

This brings us to another source of amazement: MUSEUMS! We get goosebumps just thinking about all of the spectacular paintings and sculptures and history in museums. There is nothing like seeing an actual piece of artwork in person, seeing the actual brushstrokes the artist applied to the canvas or the chisel marks on the stone. We know you aren?t allowed to touch the pieces, but one can only imagine what the stone feels like. Is it cold or does it have some warmth? Is it rough or smooth to the touch? It?s amazing the places your mind can and will go just experiencing all that museums have to offer.

These are only a few examples of ways to search out amazement, and we haven?t even touched on the Internet. If you have an Internet connection, there is no limit to the amount of new experiences and tidbits of information you can acquire in just a few minutes!

So the next time you become overwhelmed by the state of the world (and these days it doesn?t seem to be that hard), take a little time to see the amazement. It may take a little searching, but it?s out there, even in your backyard. Take the time to actually smell the flowers, watch the bees fly from each one, even seeing how some flowers follow the sun throughout the day. There is amazement out there, sometimes all it takes is opening your eyes and really looking.

The place or places a designer chooses to work says a lot about that designer. Is it a tidy space where everything has a place and clutter is a word only whispered in the shadows? Or is it a place where chaos is the word of the day and there are quite literally walking trails from the desk to the bathroom, lined with books and papers and art supplies?

You know what? Both of these offices can be the good environments for creativity! It just depends on the designer. This logic can be used for any profession, but designers tend to be on one end of the spectrum of tidiness?or the other. There is also a theory that ?organized chaos? is the most ideal atmosphere for productivity because you know where everything is located (though it may not appear that way to at outsider), but you aren?t spending all of your time organizing. It?s kind of the middle of the road between chaos and clutter-free. I would call my house the epitome of organized-chaos, except I wouldn?t say I?m the most productive when I am there (hello reruns of Castle!).

At Moxie, we tend to have areas of everything-in-its-place and areas of what-tornado-went-through-there? On any given day, each of our desks has a stack of papers on it, along with a design magazine or two for reference piled on top. There are also the personal mementos like photos, special hand-written notes from loved ones, and a shark made out of yarn (everyone has one of these, right?). And let?s not forget the handy array of Post-It notes lining every computer screen. We each also have our limits to how much clutter we can take before we go into organizing mode. And then watch out, no one?s desk is safe!

Oh, and did I mention we also have a ?straightener?? A ?straightener? is a person who compulsively has the need to straighten stacks of magazines and CD cases, sometimes not even aware he/she is doing it. I won?t say who it is but you know who you are! :)

In the end, it all comes down to preference and what gets your creative brain working. If you need everything to be in its place in order to concentrate on the task at hand, then organize away. Just remember that it?s important to recognize the difference between organization and procrastination?the work still needs to get done.

So go, get started!

? Post written by Cristy Wiza.

This was a little ditty created for a local animal shelter. The caricature was drawn from a photo provided by the shelter, and we put our spin on it while staying true to the original German Shepherd.

Projects like these keep our drawing skills sharp and, let?s be honest, are just plain FUN!

? Post written by Cristy Wiza.